KoTOR: The Grey Empire
by Chaosweaver6139
Summary: When Mar'kul Sunborne discovers that he is, in fact, Revan, he decided that the manipulations of the Jedi Council must stop for peace to be obtained. Rather than returning to the Sith ways, Revan decides to rebuild the Grey Order, with Mission Vao as his first apprentice. Adult situations will abound.
1. Chapter 1

**Yet another new story from the Weaver of Chaos. This one is something very close to my heart, as I was raised on Star Wars. Unfortunately, the Universe is so vast that I was afraid to try my hand. Until now. I just finished my 18****th**** play through of both KoTOR games, and felt that I could pull a wamp-rat or two out of my helmet.**

**This story is going to be written from Mission Vao's perspective, and will span from Bastila's capture, all the way to the return of the Exile and beyond. Though, once Malak is defeated, the story will become quite AU, so do not expect things to progress as they did in the game.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the Star Wars franchise. All right. belong to Lucasarts, Obsidian Entertainment, and whoever else I missed that has a piece of the KoTOR action. No attempt to gain profit from this story will be made, though I'm always open to taking jobs with any groups that are interested in my work.**

**Without further ado, here's Chapter one of The Grey Empire!**

Mar'Kul Sunborne, Republic Soldier. At least, that's what he called himself when I met him on Taris. At the time, he truly believed it, too. I know I did. From the moment he helped me to rescue Zalbaar from the sleemo gamorreans that had captured him, I knew that Mar'Kul would be important, not only to me, but to the whole Galaxy. Sometimes I hate being right.

After leaving Taris with a pretty stuck up Jedi, The paranoid old Officer, that shiny Tee-Three droid, a giant of a Mandalorian, and my furry trash-compactor of a friend, Mar'Kul found out that he was a Jedi, himself! It was amazing, as if I thought someone like him couldn't get any more awesome, then he goes and gets himself a piece of the Force. I'll admit, I was a little jealous, I had always wondered what kinds of things I would have been able to do in the Undercity if I had that kind of power. But, I was so happy for him, and he was happy, too.

As soon as he got his Lightsabre, though, he was forced to turn it against another Jedi, one who had fallen to the Dark Side. When we got there, she was so pained by her loss, but Mar'Kul, with his silver tongue, managed to convince the graceful Cathar, Juhani, to join us in our quest for the Star Maps that he was having visions about.

During our search, we were joined by a crazy old Nerf-Herder by the name of Jolee Bindo, and also acquired a 'Protocol' droid that called us all "Meatbags". For the most part, our search had been simple. Bastila was still a little snobby sometimes, but had warmed up to Mar'Kul to the point where they were often seen in a private corner conversing while we went through hyperspace, talking about Jedi things, I was almost certain. Of course, he would always find time for me, and we'd talk about Security and Slicing, as well as make plans on how to get Zalbaar to take a bath. After Korriban, Juhani hardly ever let Mar'Kul out of her sight, and it would have been cute, if it weren't for the hungry eyes she had on him, just waiting for a moment to pounce and do dirty things to him.

Everything was going well, until the day we were ambushed by Darth Malak and a whole squad of Dark Jedi. We all learned who Mar'Kul Sunborne truly was; Revan, the Dark Lord of the Sith. It was a shock to say the least, but our survival was a more pressing matter at the time. Bastila had thrown herself at Malak while the rest of us ran like Outcasts from a Rakghoul swarm.

Once safely back in hyperspace, the confident demeanor of the man I admired shattered. He came to each of us, one at a time, in order to convince us that he was no longer Darth Revan. I still remember when he came to me.

I was sitting on my bunk, thinking about everything that had happened, trying to organize it in my head, like streams of code, ready to be sliced, when I heard a soft knock on the Durasteel wall. "Can I talk to you for a minute, Mission?"

I quickly moved over and patted the slightly worn mattress. "Sure thing. And before you even think about asking, I'm okay with it."

He sat down and stared at me, slightly confused. "Okay with what?"

"The fact that you used to be Revan. Come on, Mister Jedi-pants, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that you're not that person any more." I smiled at him before resting my head lightly on his shoulder. "As far as I'm concerned, you're still Mar'Kul." I could feel his body loosen as he absorbed my words.

"Thank you, Mission, that means a great deal to me." He sighed and placed a slightly shaky hand on my forearm. "There's one more thing that I want to say, Mission, and I feel that you're the only one on this ship that I can truly trust with this information. May I?"

I pulled away from his shoulder and looked into his blue-grey eyes. There was a storm of emotion there, grief, sorrow, loss, anger, and a barely controlled rage that threatened to devastate him like a Tatooine sand-storm. "Of course, anything." Anything to get that haunted look off his face.

"I'm beginning to remember everything about my life as Revan; my life as a Padawan, a Knight, and going off to fight the Mandalorians. I also remember what I had found in the Outer Reaches that convinced me that I needed to start this war. But, that is for another time, I think." He paused, and I was unsure what was supposed to be a big secret. Then he started again. "I know exactly what the so-called Guardians of the Light did to my mind in their misguided attempts to find the Star Forge. They forced Bastila to be my keeper, to keep me tethered to a leash like their own personal Kath Hound, and I can see the leash that they tied her with, as well.

"Did you know that her Masters have only sought to progress her Battle Meditation, they have foregone any semblance of true training." I simply shook my head, dumbfounded that such a supposedly wise group could be so kriffing stupid. "They have brain-washed her into believing that they know all, when they are simply afraid of losing the power and control they have over peoples' lives." He ran a hand through the thick red hair on his head. "I truly hope that Malak does not break her mind when he shows her these truths."

I let out an involuntary shudder. "Does this mean you're going to go all Sith Lord on us, now?"

He laughed and smiled for the first time that day. "No, Mission, I will never again become a Sith, nor will I remain a servant of the Light, always bound to someone else's Will. There is, fortunately, a third option, one that has been all but abandoned for centuries. The Grey Order. They were a group of Jedi who truly understood that the Force was the great balance of the Universe, and to maintain that balance, they walked a fine line between what we consider the Light and Dark sides of the force. Instead of repressing all emotions like the Jedi, the Grey would draw on the strength of those emotions. Unlike the Sith, who were ruled by their passions, the Grey carefully maintained and controlled their emotions." I could see the heavier emotions seem to roll away, leaving only the ones he felt would help him in the trials to come.

"So, you're going to recreate the Grey Order?" I asked. Of course he would.

"No. We are." He responded as he stood before me and placed both of his hands on my shoulders.

"Whoa, whoa. Whoa, hold on! I'm not a Jedi, Mar." I put my hands up defensively, not afraid that he'd hit me, or anything, but there was no way I could possibly be what he wanted me to be. Could there?"

"Not yet." He chuckled. "But tell me this, Mission, how did you survive on the streets of Taris' Lower City for all those years without your family?"

"I-I had Big Z to help me." I stammered. The conversation was going in places that I had dreamed of as a kid, but I didn't think I was ready for it.

"Not always, Mission. Now, close your eyes and think hard, remember your time alone." He locked his gaze with mine and I nodded slowly, closing my eyes.

"I remember being only six, and there was a Swoop Gang War going on. Some gangs like the Beks were trying to bring some semblance of order to the Lower City, but some of the others didn't like that, and began to kill and rob people at all hours of the day. I had to keep myself hidden, even when I was looking for food. Every time one of the bad gangs would be coming my way, I'd get this tingling in my Lekku, and I'd barely have enough time to hide. I also seemed to know exactly where to find food once I got somewhere."

"Didn't that seem at all strange to you?" He asked, some of his usual humor returning to his voice.

"Not really, I remember Griff was pretty good at hiding, too, so I thought I just learned it from him." I felt my face scrunch up when I recalled my Sleemo brother. If I ever saw him again, I'd toss him out an air-lock.

"He doesn't matter, anymore, Mission. Find that feeling again, the part of you that could avoid danger and find sustenance." His words washed over me like a warm shower, it was so calming.

"I found it." My Lekku were tingling all over, and my body felt so warm, it was like being hugged by Zalbaar, but without the wet Wookie smell and the bruises.

"Good, now focus on it, see it in your mind, in your heart, can you feel it? Pulsing and cresting?" His hands had slid from my shoulders, and were suddenly holding onto my bare arms, and the warmth only magnified.

"Yes." It was beautiful, the most amazing thing I had ever felt, and it reminded me of the strong, courageous man in front of me.

"I'm glad that you think so, but perhaps you should focus more on the feeling itself." He laughed.

My eyes shot open, and I saw that every single loose item in the room had been floating. "I didn't say anything!" I nearly shouted as the objects fell to the floor. Oh crap, he had heard me think that. He was going to think I was weird for having such a childish crush on him, I was sure of it.

His smile never faltered. "No, you did not, but you were so in tune with the force at that moment, that you managed to project the thought so clearly, that I'm pretty sure even someone as numb to the force as even Carth could hear it." He laughed, and I could feel the blush burning on my cheeks, and even all the way down to my Lekku. "Now, perhaps we should see if our attempts have born fruit, shall we?"

"Okay, what do I do?" I asked, trying to get my head back into the room.

He grabbed my pillow and walked across the small dormitory room. "From where you are, reach out to the pillow and pull it toward you, Will it to come to your hand."

I held out my hand and tried to imagine the pillow hurtling toward me so I could grab it, but all it did was shake a little on his open palm.

"Concentrate a little more, Mission. Remember, feel the Force flowing between yourself and the object you wish to manipulate, and pull." His voice remained calm, just barely urging me to try harder. I wanted so badly to impress him, but the pillow just wouldn't move. After about five minutes, I became pretty frustrated and closed my eyes, pulling as hard as I could, and was rewarded by getting smacked hard in the face with the block of foam.

"What's the big idea?" I asked, assuming he had thrown it at me.

He simply held his hands up in defense. "You did that on your own, Mission, my young Padawan. And this brings us to the first true lesson I will teach you. Your manipulation of the Force is affected by your emotions. Love and compassion are what spur healing, whereas emotions like rage and sorrow fuel the so-called darker arts, such as Force Lightning. While I do not believe that suppression of any of those emotions is the right way, neither can we allow our emotions to take control of our actions. Our emotions will direct our actions at times, but you must always be aware and in control, knowing when your emotions are misguided, such as becoming frustrated and yanking on the pillow, causing it to hit you in the face. Just think if that had been your weapon you were trying to retrieve."

I suddenly had a rather morbid thought of having a Vibroblade sticking out of my forehead. I stared at the pillow, folding it in my hands. "I'm sorry. I'll do my best not to let it happen again." I raised my eyes back up to his. "Does this mean I have to call you Master?"

"Only if you want to, Mission, only if you want to." He chuckled softly, probably reminding himself of my earlier mental outburst. He walked up and put his hand on my shoulder once again. "Continue practicing. I am going to make sure Carth still remembers where we're headed." He leaned down and planted a light kiss on my forehead, causing my face to explode in a deep blue blush all over again as he slipped out the door.

"Yes, Master." I muttered into the pillow as I brought it to my face.

While Revan was gone, I continued to practice moving the pillow. I would throw it into the corner of the room and try to pull it to me. The first few times I tried, I had the same result, getting hit in the face. Eventually, I was able to focus on pulling the pillow without having to actually pull the string of Force between myself and it, so that my hand was still open to catch the pillow. I kept practicing until I could barely raise my arm. I was so drained that I didn't even notice Juhani watching me.

"He has shown you the Force?" She purred, more of a statement than a question.

I jumped a little before leaning back against the bunk. "Yes, and it's the most amazing thing I have ever felt."

She came in and sat on the floor across from me, her yellow cat's eyes studying me. "When the Force flows through you, it feels like him, doesn't it?"

"What do you mean?" I leaned forward again, confused, but remembering what I had thought the moment I felt the Force.

She smiled, looking like the panther that caught the wamp-rat, seeming to know the answer already. "The sense of calm, love and compassion that flows off of him like water, is it not the same feeling you get from the Force itself?"

She was right, and I knew it. "Like he's a living embodiment of the Force, right?"

"Exactly!" She exclaimed, her feline eyes gleaming. "Ever since we left Korriban, there has been this, draw, to him. It has taken all of my will-power gained from years of Jedi training to not do something that will drag us both back to the Dark side."

I was shocked. She as good as admitted that she wanted to hook up power couplings with Mar. "Wait, I thought you went the other way." I remembered hearing her say something about her Master when we first met. Was it just a fluke?

"Normally, yes." She admitted, giving me a once-over. "However, there is something about him that I can not seem to get out of my head. Part of him reminds me of my old Master, but there's something," She put a clawed finger to her chin, tapping the pointed tip against her lower lip, trying to find the words. "More, about him. I can not explain."

I smirked, my life of running in dodgy cantinas showing. "He makes you all kinds of warm and tingly in the pants, doesn't he?"

She blushed and looked at the floor in front of her. "A crude way of saying so, but yes." She sniffed the air slightly before looking me dead in the eyes. "The same can be said for you, young Twi'lek, no?"

I could see the purple glowing off of my own cheeks. "If a Sly like you is helpless against him, what chance of resistance does a healthy young Twi'lek like me have?" I laughed nervously, knowing I had just admitted, rather loudly, that I had a thing for Revan. I didn't know when he was going to be coming back, and I knew that I wasn't ready to try to pursue anything with him.

"None, probably." Came a voice from the doorway. I nearly jumped off the bed, and even Juhani fell over in surprise. Mar'Kul was leaning against the doorframe, a smirk on his lips, and a questioning look in his eyes. How he had managed to hide himself from her completely was amazing. I'd have to get him to teach me that one. "Based on the conversation you two were having, I think Juhani should hear about our plan. What do you think, Mission?"

"I think so, Master." My jaw dropped. I hadn't meant to say that out loud to him, but it just fell so easily from my mouth, like it was right. Either that, or I'd had a bit too much Juma Juice.

He stepped into the room and closed the door. "Tell me, Juhani, what is your honest opinion of the Council?"

"I am not sure I understand your question." she responded cautiously.

He sat on the far end of the bunk, a serious look in his eyes. "I want to know how you feel about everything that has happened in regards to the Jedi Masters; them sending me to get rid of you, their manipulation of Bastila, nearly destroying my mind just so they could try to find the way to the Star Forge."

"When you put it that way, I can tell you that I do not trust them." She growled. "They preach and preach about the follies of Pride and Arrogance, fully blind to the fact that they display both every time they open their mouths."

"Now, what would you say if I told you I had no interest in returning to the Council and becoming their personal Kath Hound?"

She narrowed her eyes, unsure what he was getting at. "You would become the Sith Lord once again?"

He laughed, probably at having to answer that question twice in one night. "No, I choose a third option." He explained to her about the Grey Jedi and how they balance both sides of the Force within themselves. "So tell me, Juhani. Will you join us in reconstructing the Grey Order?"

"I would follow you into the darkest oblivion.." She purred as she moved to kneel before him, her head bowed. "I am yours to command, Master." I wasn't sure, but I could hear the hunger in her voice.

Mar obviously heard it, too, because he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Juhani, look at me. I accept your service, and I recognize your feelings toward me. And while we will not be suppressing our emotions, we must be sure that everything we put behind our emotions remains pure, so that we maintain control. Please do not act until you can be sure of that, all right?"

"Yes Master." She responded, rubbing her cheek lightly against the back of his hand. I couldn't help it, but I felt a twinge of jealousy. I knew he had been talking to both of us, I could see it in his eyes, but it was still there.

"Good." He stood up. "Then we must train if we are to rescue Bastila and destroy Malak."

**Okay, that's as far as we're going tonight. I had always wondered what would have happened if you could have shown people the ways of the Force in the first game like you could in the second, so I'm playing with it here. The next chapter will likely be more stage setting, and the bulk of the story will come after Malak falls. So please be patient with me, as this is one of six fan fics, not to mention the two books that I am working on.**

**Please let me know what you think. Until next time, Kitties.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Weaver of Chaos here, once again. It took a bit to sink into my groove on this chapter, but once I got started, the whole thing just kind of exploded. I didn't get quite as much attention with this one as I had been hoping for, but I got better feedback than I was expecting, as it always seemed to me that there was very little Mission-love around here.**

**Thank you for the reviews, guys, I'm glad you like the direction I took with Mission.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the Star Wars franchise. All right. belong to Lucasarts, Obsidian Entertainment, and whoever else I missed that has a piece of the KoTOR action. No attempt to gain profit from this story will be made, though I'm always open to taking jobs with any groups that are interested in my work.**

**Without further ado, here's Chapter two of The Grey Empire!**

"_I can't stand these Grey Jedi, Glyph. I hate them, they're just so darn… Grey! I mean, with the Sith you know where you stand, but with the Greys, who knows?" ~ Commander Zip Finnigan, aboard the Republic ship Cumulus. _(Anyone who guesses where I got this quote I modified gets a dozen virtu-cookies.)

Juhani and I spent the rest of the day in the cargo hold while she showed me one of the Lightsabre forms, Shii-cho, I think she had called it. The movements were very simple, and were very close to how I had fought with a Vibroblade.

"Now, the Shii-cho, or 'Determination' form, due to it's simplicity, is best suited to facing many opponents." She demonstrated the quick parries and thrusts with a training sword, leaving me very little time to react. "Because your enemies end up standing shoulder to shoulder while attacking you, they have little room to move, making their attacks more predictable. You can then more easily read them and time your attacks to disarm them one at a time." She twisted her arm slightly, and her blade spun quickly, throwing mine out of my hand and across the hold.

I stared at my weapon as it clattered against the Durasteel. "But, what about one-on-one?" I asked as I went to pick it up.

"That is where many find the weakness of Shii-cho." She went on the offensive, making me work for each block, parry and dodge. "Due to it's simplistic, and often wide-sweeping movements, a single opponent using a more direct form will, almost undoubtedly, be able to find a hole in the defense and land a killing blow." Her stance suddenly shifted, and she rolled her attack off of my raised weapon and plunged it down, jabbing me hard in the stomach. I fell back onto my butt, surprised by the small jolt of electricity that had come from her sword.

I leaned against the hull and held my stomach. That was probably going to bruise. "Maybe we should take a short break." I panted, reaching for the water we had brought in with us.

"That is… a good idea." She responded, working her shoulder as she sat herself down across from me. I handed her one of the glasses, and we sat in silence, catching our breaths.

Thinking back on the last day, there was one question that kept bugging me, and since she seemed to have understood what Mar'Kul had meant, I just had to ask her. "Hey, Juhani? Do you know what Mar meant when he said that we must make sure our emotions are pure before we act on them?"

She eyed me curiously as she set down her water. "I do." She paused, and I could see her trying to organize her thoughts. "Our emotions come from our hearts, and love, in it's purest form, is known in the heart without any outside input. There are things that can mimic love, and are often confused for it."

"Mimic love? You mean lust, right?"

"Yes, lust is the physical need to satisfy your carnal desires. And those who have not felt both are likely to mistake it for love." She stared at the floor suddenly. "It is how I fell to the Dark side. I mistook my desires for love, and when I was denied…" She trailed off, and I could feel her regret. I slid over and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"I remember someone telling me that the Force works in mysterious ways, and I also remember wanting to punch the teeth out of his mouth for being a cryptic Nerf-herder." I whispered the last part slyly, earning a ghost of a smile from the sullen Cathar. "But just maybe he wasn't completely full of Bantha poodoo. If it hadn't been for all of that, you wouldn't have met me, and more importantly, you wouldn't how much of a great guy Mar is. Plus, how can you pass up a chance to resurrect an ancient order of Jedi?"

"This is true." She said, the light coming back to her eyes. "You are very wise for someone so young."

"I had to be if I wanted to do more than survive in the Lower City on Taris."

"And your skills came in quite handy to us, Mission. I for one am very grateful." Mar's voice floated in as he walked into the hold. "How is your grasp of Shii-cho?"

I looked from him to Juhani, not sure how to answer. She took the cue and stood. "She has grasped the concepts quite well, Master. Her skill with a blade is equal to a youngling of the same age, if not a year or two older." I stood up, myself, and couldn't help but blush a little as Juhani appraised me.

He smiled and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Good, Mission. Of course, I would expect nothing less from my Padawan" I could feel my blush deepen, and his smile only widened before kissing me on the forehead again. "Now, I will highly suggest the two of you retire to your quarters, as we will be resuming your training quite early. We only have a week until we arrive at the coordinates specified on the Star Maps, and I want to make sure you are prepared." He walked over to Juhani and stroked her cheek. "What has happened can not be changed, Juhani. As Mission said, those things happened for a reason. I would change nothing. I have a talented little Padawan, a powerful and strong Apprentice, and Bastila will be returned to us." His suddenly solemn face exploded into a mischievous grin. "And of course, it helps that you are easy on the eyes. Now, go rest. I will need to meditate on our course of action once we reach the Star Forge." He quickly left, laughing lightly to himself.

"Yes, Master." We echoed each other as we put away all the equipment.

Once we were in our quarters, and with us being the only two females on the ship for now, we locked the door and got undressed. I looked Juhani over, her brown underwear was barely covering the important parts, and seemed to only accentuate her curves. I knew, that being a Twi'lek, I would soon have a far more killer body, but I was still a little jealous of her. Her body would make it easier for her to gain Mar'Kul's attention.

"Mission, please." Juhani pleaded. Okay, so I was very jealous, and projecting again. "Be calm. If our Master were some Cantina-rat, yes, it would be very easy for me to just shake my hips and purr for him to have him come to me. You know he is not, Mission. He is not so easily swayed from something he wants."

I took a deep breath. I was being unreasonable, and I knew it. "What do you mean? What does he want?"

"Aside from his wish to bring peace to the Galaxy?" She joked. She must have been tired if she was goofing around. "He has said he recognizes our feelings to him, and if the way he touches us is any indication," She put her hand on her cheek and purred. "he even returns them. For both of us, and I imagine Bastila, too, though his mind is far too guarded for me to even read a surface thought. He wants us to make sure that our feelings on the matter are completely positive before we… move forward. He has also admitted that he believes us both to be beautiful."

I slipped between the sheets of my bunk. "He did say we were easy on the eyes, didn't he?" I couldn't help myself, I giggled. "I hope you don't mind me asking, Juhani, but what is it, exactly, that's keeping you from going to him now?"

She sighed, obviously thinking of a good way to answer. "He is an amazing man; kind, caring, strong, intelligent, a cunning strategist and quite good-looking, himself." I nodded my agreement to the sentiment. "But, there is a part of me that seems to want nothing more than to throw him to the ground and take him, make him mine in the most passionate and violent ways." I saw her eyes glaze over for a moment, and I could imagine doing that to Mar, myself. "It is those thoughts that frighten me. I would rather die than harm him, but I do not know how to rid myself of these thoughts."

"We don't need to get rid of those thoughts, Juhani. Mar said it himself, we simply need to have control over them. Anyway, would it really be so bad, once you're in his bed, to get a little passionate with him?" My face felt like it was on fire. I couldn't believe those words came out of my mouth.

"Th-that is true." She stammered, obviously fighting a very vivid visual. "Perhaps we should include Bastila in this conversation, if she chooses to join us in the Grey Order. Her emotions have always been at war inside her, and once she is free from outside influence, I think she will be of the same mind."

It was going to be hard enough thinking I might have to share Mar'Kul with Juhani, but to add Princess Prissy-pants? There was no helping it, I guess. "Maybe we should."

She turned off the light and I could hear her crawl onto her mattress. "Would you be there with me, Mission?"

"Where?"

"When I feel I am ready to express my feelings to our Master. I would like you to be there. I can feel that you are nearly certain of your heart, and I feel that you could help me keep my passions to a level that do not harm him." She was shifting nervously in her bunk.

I kept opening and closing my mouth, but I couldn't speak. She wanted me to be there and be with Mar'Kul at the same time. I may have grown up in the Lower City of Taris, but some things were just too much for a fourteen year-old's mind. Eventually, I found enough words to end the conversation. "I'll need to think about it. Good night, Juhani."

"Sleep well, Mission." She yawned before rolling over. My mind was exploding with thoughts. Mar found us attractive, knew how we felt for him and even encouraged it. But, what would happen when Bastila came back? Were we just place-holders for his affection, or did he have enough room in his heart for all of us? As the answers danced out of my reach, I fell into an uneasy sleep.

True to his word, Mar'Kul was at our door really early. "Mission, Juhani, get dressed and come to the cargo hold as soon as you are ready."

"What, no breakfast?" I groaned. It felt like I had just gone to sleep.

"There is something to eat in the hold. Now come along, you have much to learn today." With that, I heard him walk away

I rolled out of the bunk and saw that Juhani was already in her robes and had a slight smile on her face. "You too? Do all Jedi wake up this early?"

"When we must. I do not believe he slept, though. I felt the vibrations of a trance while I was asleep. He most likely meditated the entire night. He greatly desires Bastila returned to us, and I have no doubt he attempted to traverse their Bond during the night."

I sighed heavily. I had forgotten about their Force Bond. "Wait, wouldn't Mar be in a lot of pain if Bastila was being tortured?"

"Normally, yes. However, there are ways to train one's self to close the Bond in order to keep undesirable effects out. Force Bonds are not something that has been heavily researched or archived, unfortunately." She muttered something under her breath that sounded like, "There is no ignorance. My foot."

I slipped my vest on over my shirt and unlocked the door. "Well, let's not keep our Master waiting, I have much to learn today, apparently." I did my best impression of Mar's authoritative voice, earning a slight giggle from my feline instructor.

Once we were in the cargo hold, Mar tossed us both a couple ration bars. "Aww, I was kind of hoping for something a little fancier." I whined, unable to help myself.

"I'll send an order to Coruscant right away." Mar'Kul replied sarcastically. "We'll go somewhere nice once this is all over, but for now, just eat."

I finished mine quickly and looked to him expectantly. "So, what am I doing today?"

"The first thing you will be doing today is learning the second Lightsabre form, Makashi." He said, throwing a training sabre to Juhani and I.

"More forms?" I asked, hoping that I could learn something more like that lightning trick that I had seen Mar do once.

"Indeed. There will be many Dark Jedi on the Star Forge, and Shii-cho will not protect you in one-on-one combat against someone with a Lightsabre." He picked up his own training sabre and faced off against Juhani, performing an elaborate bow. "Much like the attack Juhani used to end your battle yesterday, Makashi is based on precise movements that were designed to counter Shii-cho's sweeping strikes." Juhani swung wide with her blade, aiming for his shoulder, and at the last second, he brought his own up to block, and in nearly the same movement, leaned in and stabbed her attacking arm. "Makashi is not about strength, but skill, and the more you practice, the more it will begin to feel like a dance, the strikes flowing from you like water." Each time Juhani attacked, Mar'Kul would deflect her without seeming to use any energy, it even looked like he was making holes in her defense simply with the minor shifts in his weight.

The dance eventually ended when he tapped her in the knee, sending an electric jolt through her body. She fell down to her opposite knee, breathing heavily. Deactivating his weapon, Mar held out his hand, which Juhani graciously took, a more subdued version of her hungry look passed over her eyes. He simply smiled kindly at her as she regained her feet. He knew just how much she admired his physical strength, it seemed to be an inborn trait to her people, to look for the most physically and mentally strong mate. He turned back to me after a few short breaths and helped me up from my seated position in the same manner, the same kind smile on his face, a smile that was meant for us alone.

"Juhani will go through the basics of Makashi with you this morning. After that, we will have a short lunch and I will check your progress." He started moving to the door.

"What are you going to do right now, though?" I asked, slightly disappointed that he was not going to stay to teach me personally.

"I must prepare the workbench for you. What I am going to do with you after lunch is going to be very important, and requires a great deal of preparation." He had come back over to me and placed his hand on my shoulder, and I could not resist sighing, the comfortable warmth of his hand seeming to radiate.

"Yes, Master." I responded. At least there was a reason he wasn't staying.

After he left, Juhani and I trained until lunch. When we sat down to eat, my muscles protested pretty loudly, still humming from the electric jolts of the training sabres. As he promised, Mar'Kul checked to make sure I had learned what I needed to.

He finally gave a satisfied nod. "You're one of the fastest learners I've met, Mission. Even where you lack in the details, you managed to cover quite well with finesse." Even though it was a bit of a backhanded compliment, it still had me smiling brightly. He motioned for me to follow him. "Now, Form Three can not be properly taught with a training weapon, so we need to take the next step in your training."

"What step is that?" I asked excitedly, almost certain why we needed the workbench.

He smiled and maneuvered me in front of the station. "You are going to construct your Lightsabre." There was a wide assortment of objects in front of me, and crystals of just about every color I could think of, even a red one, though I knew right away I wasn't going to touch that one. The first thing you need to do is design your hilt. I will suggest something along the lines of this one," He pulled a slightly curved hilt out of one of the drawers of the bench. "as the grip may be easier to wield with your dance-like movements."

I took it from him, twirling it about between my fingers. I couldn't place it, but there was just something that felt not quite right. "It's nice, but maybe a bit too long." He smiled and started walking me through how to adjust the shape. When we were done, it felt better in my hand, but still not perfect. "This will work, Master."

"Good, now take it apart, and then pick out your energy cell, focusing crystal, lens, and last but not least, a color crystal." He told me what effects each of them would have on my Lightsabre when combined, so I chose ones that would ramp up the electrical output to the point where lightning would be seen arcing off of the blade. As for color, I felt that purple would best distinguish me during the fight. On top of that, once I had re-assembled my Sabre and ignited it for the first time, Mar said the glow made me look like a manifestation of the Force, beautiful beyond words and with unlimited potential. I turned the new device off, but could still see a deep purple glow radiating off of my cheeks. I had never felt so nervous around him before. I looked up into his face, and before I could stop myself, the words flew from my mouth.

"What's going to happen to us after we save Bastila?" I clapped my hands over my mouth as soon as her name came out. It had sounded so kriffing bitter.

If he knew what I had meant, he didn't show it. "We'll take over the academy on Korriban and teach the Sith there how to truly master their emotions, and from there-"

I cut him off, I had to know the answer now that I had asked the question. "I meant '_us'_ us. You said that you accept our feelings, but when Bastila is back, will you still return them?" My eyes felt hot, but I didn't want to cry. At least not until I had an answer.

One moment, Mar was across the room, the next, his arms were wrapped around my shoulders in a soft, warm hug. "I think we need to have a little talk." His voice was as soft as his embrace. He led me out of the maintenance area, and back into the cargo hold where Juhani was meditating. "Sit down, Mission. It will be easier if I tell you both at the same time."

Juhani eyed me questioningly, wondering why I was on the verge of tears and why Mar looked so strained.

Revan sat down, legs crossed in front of us. "The first thing I need to tell you is my life: not the life of Mar'Kul Sunborne that those Hutt-spawn implanted in my mind, but my early life as Revan, before I became Dark Lord. My earliest memory is of being at the Academy on Coruscant. I never truly knew my family, and I was told that even before I had learned to walk I had shown a strong affinity for the Force. The Masters felt that due to my natural strength, I was to be put into classes with Younglings three years older than me. It set me apart from them all, whether they refused to take me seriously due to being so much younger, or because they were jealous, it doesn't matter. I was always alone, so I spent that time training, to show my classmates that I was worthy of their time. Between classes I was in the archives, learning about the History of the Order, the fight against the Ancient Sith, and how easy it could be to fall to the Dark Side. Atris would often have to pry me out of the seat I was in so she could lock the archives at night. Every time, I was alone.

"When I was twelve, I met a girl my age, Meetra Surik. Even at a young age, I could tell that she was special, someone who would have a great role in the Galaxy, even as I was unsure of my own role. We would train together in our free time, finally having someone else to share our thoughts with. By the time we became Padawans, we had both mastered the Djiem-so Form, top of our classes. The day before we were assigned our new Masters, Meetra and I made a promise, that we would be there for each other when called upon to protect the weak."

Juhani looked at him sadly. "To be so young, and with nothing but your training. She was special to you, yes?"

"She still is." He responded. "Leaving Coruscant, I continued to hone my powers and mind. There were rumors of Mandalorians beginning to amass resources, and if I knew anything about their culture, I knew that one day they would spread like a plague of steel death, and someone would need to stop them. I became a Knight of some renown, and that grabbed the attention of Alec. Even as a Jedi, he was brash and dangerously ambitious. While he shared my views regarding the Mandalorians' future goals, he did not share my ideals, he simply wanted to go to war.

"I could not just throw my only ally away because he was treading so close to the Dark Side, but I reminded myself that I would always need to watch my back. As soon as the Mandalorians took the first world, I went to speak with the Council, to warn them of the visions I had; the Republic falling under heavy assault, and whole worlds collapsing in on themselves. They assured me that the Force would find a way to balance the tide of the War, and that we should sit back and watch. I was furious, and I knew that I would have to do something where the Council would not. I sent a message to Meetra, telling her that the weak needed us.

"Together, Alec, Meetra and I recruited as many Jedi as we could, traveling from Republic world, and even to neutral worlds in order to build an army of Force-sensitives. I was always clear in my Ideals, as was Meetra, but Alec was unconcerned with that, he sought power above all else to bolster our ranks. By the time we had our forces ready, the Cathar Homeworld had already fallen, and I pled with the Council one last time to let us join the fight. Once denied, I turned my back on their blind faith and we joined the Republic in driving back the Mandalorians.

"Meetra was glorious on the battlefield, her prowess and tactical genius helped us quickly turn the tide in the war. We had, in a few short month, done as much damage to the Mandalorian war effort as they had done to the Republic over two years. We converged on Malachor V with a plan to end the threat once and for all, but before we could enact the measure, I went into the Ancient Academy there to retrieve the Holocrons that were stored there, lest the knowledge be lost to the blackness of space. It was there that I learned of the threat lurking just beyond the edges of known space, of three Sith Lords under the banner of the Immortal Marka Ragnos himself.

"Knowing that I would be exiled from the Order, and that the Council would not heed this warning as they ignored my first, I took it upon myself to build an army that would be capable of destroying even an Ancient Sith like Ragnos. We destroyed Malachor, but Meetra was lost to me, her connection to the Force severed by the magnitude of death. A pain that I would not wish on anyone. I had heard that she had returned to Coruscant and faced the judgment of the Council, and upon being exiled, she thrust her Lightsabre into the statue in front of the Blind Ones.

"Unable and unwilling to turn from the task we burdened ourselves with, Malak and I managed to find the first of the Star Maps on Dantooine, which led us to the Star Forge. From there, we amassed a large fleet and began picking away at select Republic planets, in order to minimize losses and bolster our ranks."

I sat there, watching his face fall deeper into agony as he recalled his fall to the Dark Side. It was a lot of information to absorb, but it made me feel so much closer to Mar, knowing all of it. "I think I understand now, why you say you would accept all three of us. I think we've all been that lonely. I know that without Big Z, and now you, I'd be pretty bitter."

Juhani simply nodded. "It is part of what caused my fall to the Dark Side. You did not mention Bastila during this, was she not on Dantooine before the War?"

Mar'Kul sighed. "She was just about to go through her trials while we were recruiting, but she would not have joined us, anyhow. The Masters had been brainwashing her for ten years by that point, and she would have simply run to them."

"How does she even factor in, then?" I asked.

"Vrook had sent her with a small strike force of Jedi in order to kill me. I found it infinitely amusing that they would send a group of Padawans in an apparent attempt to assassinate the, and I quote, 'Most powerful Force-Wielder in over a century.' Likely he told her that I had fallen so far to the Darkness that I would be weakened enough for even a Mundane childe to defeat." He chuckled, and I couldn't help but marvel at the arrogance of that angry old man.

"We were told at the Enclave that she did in fact kill you." She sounded disgusted that she had even believed it for one moment.

"Unless I am a Force Spirit, you know that to be a lie. No, I finally had Bastila away from the mouths of her deceivers, and I was intent on setting her straight. Unfortunately, while I was entertaining my guests, Malak decided that my plan to unify the Galaxy against Marka Ragnos was not ambitious enough. He turned the cannons of his ship on my command deck and fired. I was dying, and it is through Bastila's quick actions that I am here now. Though I doubt she wanted my mind to be destroyed. Because of her, my heart can beat for you both." Mar stood up and stretched. "But, that's enough of a history lesson today. Come along, both of you, the bed in my quarters has not been slept in since we left Manaan, and I'm sure it's more comfortable than those bunks of yours." He smiled and tried to make it sound like a simple friendly offer, but I saw the haunted look in his eyes, and seeing Juhani's face, I could tell that she noticed it as well. Dredging up those memories had him not wanting to be alone.

I nodded and followed him out. He had opened up to us, to prove that he would not abandon us. I realized at that moment that that was what I had been worried about. That Mar would pull a Griff and leave me stranded on some kriffing dead planet. Something like that would never happen, and I knew it. My fears gone, I knew I would do anything he asked me to do.

In his quarters, Mar closed and locked the door, removing his outer robes and hanging them on a hook. "Unless either of you are opposed, I will suggest that undergarments remain on."

The look on Juhani's face screamed that she wanted more than that, to bare everything to him, but she quickly reminded herself that it would not be the best time to voice that wish. She simply nodded and began to undress herself.

I hesitated. I knew that I wanted this, but was I ready to let Mar see me in my underwear? I looked over to him, seeing that he was down to his skintight under suit, and the toned muscles that it outlined, almost like the suit had been painted on, decided for me. I quickly took off my vest and shirt before kicking off the pants I had been wearing. Standing next to Juhani in just my white shorts and sports bra, I was suddenly very conscious of Mar's gaze as he settled in to the bed.

The broken, scared look in his eyes was replaced by one of almost predatory possession. He shook his head, and as quickly as it had appeared, the predator was gone, smiling, gentle Mar'Kul in it's place. "Two beautiful women to keep me company tonight. I do think that Carth would die of jealousy if he found out."

"Let him die, then. For my heart is only for you, Master." Juhani purred as she crawled onto the bed. He simply chuckled and placed his hand on her cheek, and leaning up for a quick kiss. She purred happily before curling up against his left side, his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"Nothing witty to say this time, Mission?" He called softly, beckoning with his free hand.

I gulped, my tongue felt dryer than a Tatooine sandstorm. "Afraid not. There aren't many Cantina rats that brag about something like this." I awkwardly slid under the soft sheets, but before I could settle in, I felt the heat of Mar's hand cup my cheek. I turned to stare at him, almost certain that my entire face was glowing purple, when he moved in for a kiss. It was heaven, even that light touch sent shivers down my spine, the love he felt for me transferring easily in that moment. I collapsed against him, nearly purring, myself, and cuddled as close to his incredible warmth as I could. "Good night, Master."

I never heard him respond, because the soothing motion of his hand on my back put me to sleep immediately.

**I had almost tried to just power through the training and move on to the confrontation with Bastila that everyone knows is coming, but all of a sudden, I felt the need to expand a little on where the three (soon to be four) of them stood emotionally.**

**I'm wondering if I should skip the whole crash-landing/killing Saul scenario, and would love my reader's input on that decision. It may take some time to get the next chapter up, because I'll be in the process of moving, shortly. Also, please be patient with me, as this is one of six fan fics, not to mention the two books that I am working on.**

**As always, I look forward to hearing what my readers think, so reviews are appreciated, and I try to respond to every one. Until next time, Kitties.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Weaver of Chaos here, once again. Sorry about the long wait, guys. My computer took a massive dump on me, and I couldn't afford to get it fixed until last week. That, and until my books get published, writing is still just a hobby of mine, one of many.**

**Thank you for the reviews, guys, I'm glad you like the direction I took with Mission. And the winner of the dozen vitru-cookies goes to for guessing that it was Zap Brannigan from Futurama.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the Star Wars franchise. All right. belong to Lucasarts, Obsidian Entertainment, and whoever else I missed that has a piece of the KoTOR action. No attempt to gain profit from this story will be made, though I'm always open to taking jobs with any groups that are interested in my work.**

**Without further ado, here's Chapter three of The Grey Empire!**

I awoke to the sound of the comm going off behind me. I didn't want to wake up. Mar-Kul's chest was so warm, and his heart was so soothing. The last week seemed like a blur, with Mar, Juhani and even 'Grandpa Bindo, as I has started calling him, training me to channel the Force. Juhani and Jolee would make sure I understood the basic mechanics of each technique, and Mar would show me how pure emotions would focus and amplify it. The day I learned how to shoot lightning from my fingers was amazing, though I accidentally blew up the training drone we were using. He told me that righteous fury, the strong desire to see justice served, was what super-powered that particular move. It seemed that I had righteous fury in spades.

Every night, Mar, Juhani and I would go back to his room and sleep, simply content in the soft skin of the other. At least, I was content, Juhani, I think, had to force down her desires on more than one occasion. It seemed, though, that she was beginning to understand why the act of sleeping together as we were was sufficient. She needed it, if only to remind herself that she was the one in control of her emotions. I, on the other hand, truly felt that there was no other place for me than at Mar's side. I trusted him with my life and my heart, and could see that he did the same.

During our breaks, Mar would tell us more about what had made him into Darth Revan, his growing frustrations with the Council's arrogant grabs for power and control, Malak's ambitions, and he even told us more about Meetra Surik, his first true friend. He told us that she had been with him for the better part of the war, but something terrible at Malachor V caused her to return to the Council on Coruscant and exile herself. The regret in his voice whenever he spoke of her was almost unbearable, as if he believed he could have saved her from that fate.

We were becoming a family, something that none of us really had before. I was closer to them than I had ever imagined myself being with my kriffing 'brother'. I never wanted to move from that warm, safe feeling.

*Beep Beep*

Right, I had woken up for a reason. I rolled over and hit the button to open the channel. "Yeah, what is it, Carth?"

"Whoops, sorry, Kiddo! I thought I had hit Re- thought I had hit Mar-Kul's room." He responded.

I felt an arm wrap around my waist as Mar shifted in the bed. "You did, Carth. What do you want?"

"What is Mission doing in your quarters? If you think you can take advantage of her, just because she's a kid, I'll-"

"First off, I'm old enough to make my own decisions, Grandpa." I cut him off before he could say something that would make me mad. "Second, I'm here because Mar is training me."

"Training you in what, exactly?" His voice had taken on that tone of voice he used when talking about that traitor, Karath.

"Not that it's any of your kriffing business, but Mar has introduced me to the Force, and is training me to be a Jedi." it's almost like he's willfully ignorant about the things going on around him.

"Both of you, enough." Mar commanded in a calm voice. "What did you want to tell me, Carth?"

Carth cleared his throat and coughed. "Sorry. We're approaching the coordinates for the Star Forge. We should be within visual range in a couple of hours."

"Good. I'll be there after I instruct Mission and Juhani on their next lessons." Mar said, nodding to me to turn off the comm. I hit the button and curled back into his chest. I was just getting settled when I heard Mar curse. He practically flew out of the bed without so much as ruffling the sheets we were all wrapped in. I could see in Juhani's eyes that she was just as surprised about the show of grace and dexterity as I was. Before either of us could comment, however, Mar slammed his hand down on the comm and shouted, "Carth! Drop us out of Hyperspace, now!"

"Ow, no need to yell. We're still a standard hour away, why do we need to stop now?" Carth's voice came out a bit more garbled than before.

"Just do it, I'll explain when I get to the-DAMN!" Mar cursed again as the ship suddenly jolted to one side.

"I've lost all navigational controls. Everyone hold onto something, we're going to be making a crash landing on a small planet." Carth's voice cut over the siren blaring throughout the ship. "You might want to get up here, Mar."

We quickly got into our robes and rushed to the cockpit. We arrived just in time to see the lush green and blue planet below rushing up to greet us.

"The hell's going on here, Sunborne?" Carth demanded as he tried to keep the Hawk out of a nosedive.

"STATEMENT: It would appear that the disruptor array on this planet is still operational." HK-47 rattled off in his usual, condescending tone. "AMUSED QUERY: Don't tell me that you forgot that it was there, Master."

"I was trying to tell Carth to stop the ship." Mar sighed as he pointed Juhani and I to the two open crash harnesses in the room.

"You're telling me that you knew about this?" Carth snapped. "Why didn't you tell me, you overgrown trash compactor?"

"CONDESCENDING ANSWER: Because you did not ask, Meatbag." The homicidal droid retorted. The smile that crossed Mar's face at that was darker than anything I had seen from him since we started traveling together, and the shiver that ran up my spine was all the proof I would ever need that Mar would forever walk the thin line between light and dark.

He then turned to us and his smile softened. It was a special thing that he only shared with us and Bastila. "Juhani, Mission, I need you two to hold onto my belt, or anything else you can get a hold of. "I'm going to slow our descent."

"Shouldn't you strap in, Master?" I asked, ignoring the confused and slightly angry look from Carth.

"My movements would be too limited for what I'm planning." He planted his feet with his back toward us. He looked over his shoulder and smiled once again. "This is the true power of the Force, my dears." He dropped down into a deep stance, with his palms low to the floor. Almost immediately, I could feel the energy swirling around the Ebon Hawk. I grabbed Mar's belt with both hands and saw Juhani do the same. He slowly began to raise his hands, his fingers curling and shaking as if he were lifting something terribly heavy.

"Forty-five to impact! If you're going to do something, do it now!" Carth yelled over his shoulder while still trying to direct our fall.

"You try lifting a ship with your mind, Onasi!" Mar's voice was strained with effort, and I could feel tremors running through his whole body.

"I'll, umm… I'll leave you to that, then." He mumbled. "Tee-Three, divert all available power to repulsors and shields." A series of whirs and beeps came over the comm. "Yes, everything EXCEPT life-support."

The shaking became even more pronounced as Mar fought against gravity. "Descent is slowing, but we're still going to be dust at this rate."

"I'm working on it, Carth." Mar groaned. He had begun to sweat, and his breath was coming in short gasps. "Juhani, lend me your strength."

"Everything I have is yours, my Master." She purred, sounding completely unconcerned about the explosive death that we were headed for. Her hands began to glow blue immediately, as her energy passed into Mar. all too soon, she was panting and sweating as if she had just run falf way around the under city. "I do not think I am strong enough, Master."

"Do not doubt yourself, Juhani, you're doing fine." He managed to look back at her and smile through his fatigue.

"We're below lethal velocity. Keep it up, you two!"

"Master?" I left the question unspoken, but somehow I knew he would know what I was thinking. To be honest, I felt more than a little useless. I had always thought that if I could become a Jedi, I could do anything, but there I was, useless again.

"I haven't taught you how to do this yet, Mission. It is a misstep that I plan on rectifying soon." He turned his smile to me, but I could see just how hard it was for him to hold it. "Just keep me on my feet for now, that is all I ask."

I couldn't help but smile back at him. "As you desire, Master." I responded, trying to emulate the seductive tone that Juhani almost always had to her voice. I couldn't see his face anymore, but I could almost feel his smile widen.

"It's still going to be rough, people, brace for impact!" Carth shouted one last time. I tightened my grip on Mar just as the ship lurched violently to one side, nearly tearing him out of my hands. I could hear the hull grinding against stone, rattling my teeth in my head. The Ebon Hawk bounced off of a cliff face, throwing my Master against me. I quickly wrapped my arms around his waist. He was still trying to control the path of destruction, and seemed to be doing a fairly good job of it, because we stopped just shy of a drop-off into the ocean.

Once he was sure it was over, Mar slumped against me. We were all quiet for a long while, until Mar started laughing to himself. "Thank you for flying Sunborne Airlines. Once the ship has come to a complete stop, you may leave your seats and exit. Please be careful when opening overhead compartments, as some objects may have shifted during the flight." By the end, he was doubled over in laughter, leaning hard against me as he tried to breathe.

"Great," Carth grumbled. "he broke his brain."

"I think he will be fine, Onasi." Juhani purred as she unfastened her harness and helped me with mine, seeing as my hands were a bit full. "The strain of his task, combined with how close we were to becoming one with the Force, caused this need for stress relief. I, for one, found the joke to be humorous." I probably would have been laughing, myself, if it weren't for the warm feeling of having Mar pressed against me. I tried hard to hide my blush, but the sudden smile from the Cathar told me I was failing miserably.

"Whatever, just make sure he's ready to go. I'm pretty sure he's the only one who knows exactly where the relay station is." He shot a pointed look in the general direction of HK-47, who had gone back to his little cargo hold.

I was just about to tell Carth off for trying to boss us around, but Juhani put a finger to my lips and lifted one of Mar's arms. "Do not worry a single grey hair over it, Republic. We will make sure that he is purrrrfectly relaxed." She quickly led us back to Mar's quarters, leaving Carth to ask an empty room about his hair color.

By the time we had sat Mar on the edge of the bed, he had stopped laughing, and was taking huge gulps of air. I turned and looked at my training partner. "You said that on purpose, didn't you?" I laughed.

"Yes, I made sure to mention his grey hair so that he would leave us alone for the time being and not burden us with his often infantile questions." She answered as she sat down next to our calming Master. "How do you feel?"

"Like that time Alec and I tried Spice." He groaned. "This ship is heavier than I thought."

"It was also traveling at sub-light speeds, Master." I said as I knelt behind him, massaging his temples. It just seemed like the right thing to do.

"She is right. Only you would be able to do something as extraordinary as that. Now, we will do anything that will help you relax." She began to draw small circles in his chest with a clawed finger. If Mar had had heard her true meaning behind that, he didn't show it. He just seemed to melt into the team massage. Juhani began to knead the muscles in his arms, causing him to groan softly. I, on the other hand, had moved down to work on his shoulders, trying not to laugh at the way his head lolled from side to side.

"If this is just a ploy so you can have your way with me, Juhani…" He sighed. "I must say, it's working."

The Cathar purred quietly. "I am merely showing you the depths of my feelings for you, my Master." My care for you and your well-being." She ran the pads of her fingers along the lapels of his robes and down to the sash that held them closed. "But, if Master insists, perhaps I could be persuaded to ease more than just your tension."

"You tease me, Kitten." Mar responded, placing his hand on her cheek. She smiled and leaned into his touch. "And what of you, my Sapphire?" I froze, I had never thought he'd ever give me a pet name, and I felt my face explode in heat.

"From here, Master, she looks more like an amethyst, now."

"Sapphire." I muttered. I quickly came back to myself, and draped my arms over his shoulders. "Your Sapphire would like nothing more than to show her Master the extent of her feelings."

"In that case, I can think of a few things that would help me 'relax.'." He chuckled. He reached his arms around our waists just as the buzzer for the comm went off again. "And that was _not_ on the list." he growled as he hit the button. "What is it?"

Sounds like you're back to normal, Sunborne. Good."

"Thank you for the concern, Canderous." Mar replied sarcastically. "What's the occasion?"

"A patrol of Sith troops are headed in this direction. Heavily armed. Looks like our official welcoming party." One could almost hear the smile on the Mandalorian's face.

"Well, in that case, we had better give them something to welcome. Have everyone meet at the ramp." He closed the channel before Canderous could reply. "Looks like this will have to wait, my dears. The Sith are not patient people." He kissed us both on the forehead as he staightened his robes. We all put on the flexsteel bands that accented our robes and attached our lightsabres to our hips before heading to the loading bay.

"It's about two whole platoons of those mirror-plated clowns." Canderous said as we approached. "Each of them carrying a heavy carbine of some sort."

"And Dark Jedi?" "Mar asked.

"Doesn't look like it."

"Good." He sighed. He probably wanted to see how I would fare against enemies that used to be my equals. "There may be Sith Assassins out there, so be on your guard. Mission, I want you to use your speed to dart in and out, getting quick strikes against them. I know you're used to ranged battles, so be careful not to stay in one place for too long." I nodded. While I always had a Vibroblade with me, I didn't really use it unless things got way too close to me. Battles would be very different from then on. "Everyone else, you know the drill; watch each other's back and leave no survivors."

"GLEEFUL STATEMENT: Engaging assassination protocols, Master." HK chimed. "PROUD DECLARATION: I do so love a good wholesale slaughter."

"Tee-Three, lower the ramp."

Mar unclipped his double-bladed lightsabre from his sash. Soon, Juhani's dual blue and yellow, Jolee's single green and my purple sabre joined the viridian glow of Mar's. Without even waiting for the ramp to fully lower, Mar charged out, leveling the Sith with a Force Shockwave. The three of us were right behind him. Juhani threw one of her sabres, and it embedded itself into the chest of a stunned trooper, deflecting blaster shots with her other blade. Once reunited with her second blade, she jumped into the fray. Jolee had stayed near the ship, deflecting blaster bolts from Carth and the others.

Not wanting to be left out, I zeroed in on a trooper that had been pushed away from the rest of his squad. Rushing forward, the fingertips of my free hand crackling with purple lightning. I cut his rifle in half, and as he fumbled for his vibroblade, I jammed my palm against his chest plate, causing the lightning to arc all over his body. Smoke started seeping out of the suit as he fell to the ground, dead.

"Okay, that was so much more satisfying than hitting a training droid." I said to myself as I turned back to the main battle. I suddenly felt myself being encased in a Force Barrier seconds before the punch of a blaster bolt hit my shoulder. My attacker was immediately lifted into the air and thrown against the side of the Ebon Hawk with enough force to completely flatten his helmet. I saw Revan, and there was no doubt in my mind that the man fighting there was Revan, not Mar, wielding his double-bladed sabre with one hand in a whirling dance of death. His other hand was manipulating the Force with such precision that I could have sworn he saw the whole battlefield at once.

"Keep your head in the battle, Sapphire." He shouted without looking back at me. I wanted to say something about the way he chided me but I knew that if I had been hurt, his words would have been very different. That, and his use of my new pet name assured me that he was simply worried. I shook my head and found a new target.

By that time, we had taken out half the troopers, and the rest had switched to either Vibroblades or Bothan Stun Sticks. I jumped up and brought the heel of my boot down on one trooper's sword arm, and I heard a wet 'pop' before I Pushed him off the cliff. I turned quickly this time and saw his squad mate running at me the a Stun Rod. He swung it at my head, which I easily ducked. I then slashed him from left hip to right shoulder, and he took a surprised step backward, gazing at the scorch mark on his armor.

"Come on, Spice-for-brains, I'm not gonna stand here all day." I taunted, thinking about how I was going to finish him off. I barely noticed his hand move as he went for his blaster pistol. He fired, and quicker than I thought I could move, my purple blade came up and deflected the bolt right between his eye. He dropped the pistol and fell backward. One more dead Sith.

I looked back to see that Mar had the last six Sith in a Whirlwind and Juhani was frying them with Lightning. As the last one fell to the ground, Mar switched off his sabre. "Everyone have all their parts?"

"They barely posed a threat." Canderous scoffed. "There would have been no Glory in falling to them."

"CONCERNED ANALASYS: My Targeting Matrix seems to be malfunctioning, Master. I was only firing with a ninety-eight-point-six percent lethality."

"I'll check your systems late." Mar responded, chuckling to himself. "Anyone else?"

I walked up to him with a huge smile on my face. "Thank you for watching my back, Master."

"And a fine back it is, my Sapphire." He said, low enough so that only Juhani and I could hear it. Of course, me blushing would have advertised it to anyone who cared to notice. He always seemed to know just what to say to give me that warm tingly feeling.

"Well, that was fun, but what's the plan now?" Carth asked as he holstered his blasters.

"This planet is likely crawling with Sith." Mar answered. "So I want Tee-Three to begin repairing the damaged systems. As soon as the array's down, we're getting off this rock and taking the fight to Malak." His eyes burned for a moment with a emotions so fierce and strong that they shook me to my core. "Ordo, you and Zalbaar are going to make sure he doesn't get any unwanted visitors." Canderous nodded, while Big Z roared his understanding.

"I'll stay here too." Jolee yawned. "I'm too old to be traipsing off into the jungle with you kids."

I laughed. "This coming from the ex-Jedi that lived in the Shadowlands of Kashyyk."

He gave me an indignant look. "Darn kids, no respect for their elders." He huffed, getting a chuckle out of everyone, even Canderous.

"That's fine. Everyone else, let's go." Mar started off down the path the Sith patrol had come from, and I was right behind him with Juhani. Carth and HK-47 fanned out behind us, blasters at the ready.

The walk was short, and we cut through the remaining patrols like a plasma cutter through Bantha fat. I was quickly getting the hang of fighting like a Jedi, and Mar's smile told me that he agreed. Suddenly, he stopped, and every muscle in his body tightened. "Master, what's wrong?" That's when I felt it; something cold and sinister worming it's way through the ambient Force energy of the planet. It felt like a Rakghoul had run it's fingers down my spine. "This feeling…" I shuddered involuntarily.

"A Force wielder lies ahead." Juhani gasped, obviously feeling the same thing. "There is power in this one."

"Power," Mar agreed. "And an unbridled rage. When we arrive at the relay, you all take the soldiers, I will… deal with the fallen Jedi." The last part was almost a whisper, and the shadows covering his face seemed to accentuate the sadness I felt rolling off of him.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Carth groaned.

"STATEMENT: I am ready to terminate hostilities whenever you are, Master."

"It will be alright, my Master." Juhani purred, a soothing hand placed on his shoulder. "Everything will turn out, I have faith in you."

Mar covered her hand with his and visibly relaxed. "You are right, Kitten. There is no need to worry about what might become." He dropped her hand and pushed forward into the clearing and up the stairs.

Once we reached the top of the stairs, what I saw took my breath away; surrounded by a handful of Sith Assassins and an old soldier, was Bastila. Something was very wrong with her, she had become pale, and I could see an unnatural yellow glint in her eyes. Her robes were black and very form-fitting, and they showed off more of her deathly pale flesh. The seemingly ever-present smirk on her face had been replaced by a sneer that magnified that feeling I'd had earlier. When she spoke, her voice seemed to promise pleasure beyond my wildest dreams, but at the same time, threatened pains worse than my darkest nightmares.

"Ahh, Revan, it is such a joy to see you again. My Master sends his regards."

**I must say, battles are much easier when you're really only focusing on one person. So, what did everyone think about Mission's new role as a Jedi?**

**Okay, I know some of you have stopped by my page since the last update, but I'd like the rest of you to head over, as I have a new poll up about whether or not to add more stories to my rapidly growing list.**

**As always, I look forward to hearing what my readers think, so reviews are appreciated, and I try to respond to every one. Until next time, Kitties.**


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